1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a printer, and more particularly to a printer that receives image data from an image data source such as a storage medium containing the image data and a digital still camera and that prints an image selected by a user from the received image data on a medium such as printing paper.
2. Description of Related Art
A monitor for displaying an image to be printed is conventionally required in a printer that is provided with a video signal receiving part and/or an input interface for connecting with an imaging apparatus such as a digital still camera. However, if the printer receives image data from a portable image data source such as the digital still camera and a portable external storage medium such as a PC card, the printing is preferably performed only by the image data source and the printer (i.e., without an external monitor). To eliminate the necessity of providing the external monitor for displaying the image during printing, there has already been proposed a method in which a liquid crystal display (LCD) is attached to the printer and an image is selected by operating a touch panel on the LCD (Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-298176).
In this method, however, the printer is relatively expensive since it is provided with the LCD and the touch panel as the interface with the user.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing method and a printer, which make it possible to receive instructions and designations from a user without a means that increases the cost such as a touch panel and an LCD, and confirm the printings without the use of a monitor when a desired image is selected from an image data source to be printed.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to a printing method, comprising the steps of: receiving image data representing a plurality of images from an image data source; producing an index print on which a plurality of pictures corresponding to the plurality of images are printed; selecting a picture from the plurality of pictures printed on the index print and putting a mark on the index print to designate the selected picture; inserting the index print with the mark into an index print receiving part; transporting the index print inserted in the index print receiving part by a transporting part and reading the mark by a mark detector; and printing, on printing paper, an image corresponding to the mark read by the mark detector.
According to the present invention, the index print is produced according to the image data received from the image data source in order to show the user all the images received from the image data source. While looking at the index print, the user selects at least one image to be printed and puts at least one mark on the index print according to the selection. The marked index print serves as an information entry sheet for transmitting information relating the selection to the printer. More specifically, when the marked index print is inserted into the printer through the index print receiving part, the transporting part transports the index print to the mark detector, which reads the mark. The image selected by the user is determined with the read mark, and the image is printed on the printing paper in a full-size for example.
In this method, it is possible to selectively print only the desired image, which is selected by the user, among multiple pieces of image data without using the image display apparatus such as the monitor.
The present invention is directed to a printer, comprising: an image data receiving part for receiving image data representing a plurality of images from an image data source; an index print receiving part for receiving an index print on which a plurality of pictures corresponding to the plurality of images are printed; a transporting part for transporting the index print received by the index print receiving part; a mark detector for detecting a mark put on the index print transported by the transporting part; and a printing part for printing, on printing paper, an image corresponding to the mark detected by the mark detector.
Another printer may produce the index print in advance, but more preferably, the printer of the present invention further comprising an index print producing part for producing the index print according to the image data received by the image data receiving part.
It is also preferable that the transporting part is also used to transport the printing paper at printing. This would simplify the hardware structure of the printer.